Referrals

We provide a wide range of services at Somerville Family Practice, but there are times when it is helpful to involve a specialist in your care. Before seeing a specialist, it is best to meet with one of the providers in our office to help determine who can be of the most help to you. We have close affiliations with many specialists at Mount Auburn Hospital and within the Winchester and Tufts Network. They communicate well with us and with each other, and we have access to all of the information from Mount Auburn specialists from our office, so we are able to review any lab tests or x-rays that they may order. Accordingly, we generally refer to doctors at those institutions should consultation be needed.

After we determine the best specialist for you, it is often easier for you to call them directly and make the appointment for a time that is most convenient for you. We are also very willing to arrange this for you if you would like. Prior to your appointment you also need to call our office so that we can submit the referral form needed by your insurance company. Without this referral, your insurance company may not pay for the specialists visit.

When you call our office for an insurance referral, please have the following information ready for the front desk staff:

  1. Date of specialist appointment

  2. Name of specialist you are seeing

  3. Specialist’s NPI # (national provider identification number)

  4. Reason for seeing the specialist

  5. Fax number

Each health plan has its own guidelines on specialist referrals. If you have any further questions about referral restrictions imposed by your health plan, we suggest you contact them directly.